Plans Set For Hotel, Offices In West

Leonard Farber Inc. of Pompano Beach announced plans Thursday to develop an office park and hotel at Interstates 595 and 75, part of the accelerating pattern of growth in western Broward County.

The Farber firm, developer of the upscale Galleria mall in Fort Lauderdale, plans 800,000 square feet of buildings on 75 acres in what is part of Davie, according to Farber President Eric W. Deckinger. The office park, to be called Westpark Business Center, is on the southeast corner of where I-595, I-75 and the Sawgrass Expressway will meet.

At the moment, the location is remote -- about 15 miles down State Road 84 from U.S. 1. But all that will change as early as June. The Sawgrass Expressway, a 22.8-mile loop around west and north Broward County up into Palm Beach County, is supposed to open this summer. I-595 is the soon-to-be upgraded State Road 84 out to Alligator Alley. And some of I-75 down to Dade County is already open, with more to follow.

Development planned for the area includes Arvida South`s Weston project, 20,000 homes on land where cows still graze.

Farber, along with several partners, bought the tract from AmeriFirst Development Corp. last month for $10 million. Plans for the space include office and light industrial uses, Deckinger said. How big the hotel will be has not been decided.

``The location is fabulous in terms of access and visibility,`` Deckinger said.

Farber, who is lead partner in the project, hopes to break ground in the fall, which could mean the first portions of the project would be open by the end of 1987. Some small retail stores are planned, but mostly to serve businesses in the office park, Deckinger said.